


Memories on the Ice

by EllenMarieP



Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [11]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Angst and Feels, M/M, Underage Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenMarieP/pseuds/EllenMarieP
Summary: Part 11 of the Christmas prompt challenge.Ice skating - "I thought you said you knew how to skate?" "Well, in theory! I've never actually skated before..."Thomas supervising an afternoon on the ice gets lost in his memories.Heads up for young Thomas being in an inappropriate relationship. Nothing major or explicit.
Relationships: Daisy Mason/Andy Parker, Phyllis Baxter/Joseph Molesley, Thomas Barrow/Original Male Character(s), Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030419
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24
Collections: A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020





	Memories on the Ice

Memories on the Ice

The winter sun brought out the purity of the gleaming expanse of snow and ice covering the Downton estate as if it were a blank page for merriment, inviting the feet to play and the spirit to laugh.

Not that Thomas was laughing of course, he was supervising, diligently as some of the staff enjoyed an afternoon of ice skating on the frozen pond. Watching certain people falling on the ice over and over again held no merriment for him whatsoever.

“I thought you said you knew how to skate?”

“Well, in theory! I’ve never actually skated before…”

Poor Mr Moseley, once again he was managing to demonstrate that he had all of the knowledge with none of the skill. The man skated like he played cricket and made it equally embarrassing for himself by spending the morning advising everyone on the best way to angle themselves for a nice, smooth glide. At least Mrs Moseley had the skill and the patience to both skate on the ice and keep picking her husband up off it.

As Thomas sat on the bench watching everyone skate; from the Moseley’s disaster area to Andy and Daisy sailing around arm in arm and the hall boys having a race that was sure to end in tears, his mind was taken back to the first time he ever tried ice skating….

* * *

“What if I fall?”

“Here, take my hand. I won’t let you fall.”

“But someone might see.”

“Why do you think I brought you out here in the middle of the night? No one will see. Now take my hand.”

14-year-old Thomas Barrow reached out and took the hand of 25-year-old Jack Simmons, his fathers' shop assistant, and the slowly set out on to the ice. The young clockmaker's son had known for a couple of years that he was different, but he hadn’t fully realised why until Jack had taken him aside in the back yard of his father’s shop a couple of weeks previously and planted a single kiss on his lips before turning away and returning to work without a single word. Since then there had been a few more kisses, some gentle touches and whispered promises.

It had been Jack’s idea to go ice skating at a local pond at 1 am, they were less likely to be seen in the dark. Thomas had climbed out of his bedroom window and climbed down the drainpipe like a thief in the night, so excited to finally go skating. His mother had never let him learn as a child for fear of injury, she had been extra cautious after his older brother drowned two months before Thomas was even born. Now that they were out here, Thomas felt an odd sense of both freedom and wrongness. After all, Jack did have a fiancé in the city so where was the future with him for Thomas?

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you love me?”

Jack burst out laughing, his head thrown back, and eyes squeezed shut in pure mirth.

“Of course not!”

Thomas felt something run through him that he had never felt before, a sharp, painful feeling in his heart.

“But….”

“Thomas you’re just a child and I could never love a man! I’m just teaching us both a few things before I get married. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my bride on our wedding night.”

Their hands dropped as Thomas closed himself off from the world, tears burning his eyes as they stared down at the dark ice.

“Take me home.”

“Thomas…”

“Take me home!”

* * *

“Mr Barrow?”

Mrs Moseley’s voice snapped Thomas back to the present with an unpleasant start and he looked around to find it was just the two of them, the others seemingly having gone back inside. The sun was starting to set and now that he was back in the present he realised that he couldn’t feel any of his extremities anymore. Miss Baxter was standing before him, gazing at him with a mix of curiosity and concern.

“Sorry Miss Baxter. Got lost in me own thoughts.”

Thomas hadn’t thought about Jack for a long time. It was only a week after that night that Jack had tried to kiss him again and Thomas’ father caught them, he sacked Jack on the spot and threw Thomas out onto the streets later that evening battered and bruised. He’d been in service ever since. It hadn’t taken him long to learn how wrong their…whatever it was, had been. He had only been a child and Jack had taken advantage of that, but it was a lesson that Thomas had needed to learn sooner rather than later. He had Richard now and he was finally experiencing an honest, equal and loving relationship for the first time in his life. With that thought he rose off the bench with a groan, his back and knees creaking in protest, age and cold did not mix.

“Had they all had enough?”

“I think the halls boys would’ve stayed out all night if we’d let them, but Daisy was cold and Mr Moseley’s pride was a bit too bruised.”

Thomas couldn’t prevent his snort of laughter which he tried to follow up with an apologetic look as he offered her his arm to head back inside. If her eye roll was anything to go by he didn’t think she bought it.

It had been a long dark road for Thomas Barrow but now, finally and after many mistakes and wrong turns, his future was looking bright.


End file.
